SHORELINE — Although many parents may be unaware, sex offenders are allowed to attend public schools in the area.
This is a cause for concern with parent Debra DeJohn, a Shoreline resident.
“The school district could provide them with an education without presenting a danger to the rest of the children at the school,” DeJohn said.
DeJohn is concerned because few people are aware that sex offenders may attend public schools. She said there is no mention in the school district’s student/parent handbook of its policies on allowing juvenile and adult sex offenders into the school system, and she would like for parents to be made more aware of the issue.
Four students in the Shoreline School District are registered sex offenders, including two who are Level 2 offenders.
One Level 2 sex offender, Ashley Marie Knauss, is a 20-year-old with mild developmental disabilities. She was released in June, 2004, from Purdy Treatment Center, the Washington Corrections Center for Women, after she completed her 2002 sentence for an indecent liberties conviction.
Mario Antonio Nicdao, 17, is a Level 2 sex offender who completed rehabilitation treatments through the state’s Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration. He was convicted of rape of a child in the first degree in 2001. There are also two Level 1 registered sex offenders in the school district. State guidelines don’t call for identification and public notice of Level 1 offenders.
The designation as a Level 2 sex offender is an indication that the offender is at moderate risk of re-offending. Level 3, the highest level possible, is given to people who have a high risk of re-offending.
Knauss is enrolled in the Community Protection Program offered by the state Department of Correction’s Division of Developmental Disabilities.
The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act allows students with disabilities, including Knauss, to remain in public schools through age 21 if they have transition needs and have not received a regular high school diploma.
By law, the school district must comply with the sentencing of sex offenders when they are juveniles or are eligible to return to school.
“We do what we are legally asked to do,” said Marjorie Ledell, district spokeswoman. “Our highest value is to maintain that there’s a safe learning environment for students and staff.”
Ledell would not comment on any specific circumstances regarding students enrolled in Shoreline schools.
As a condition of her release, Knauss is supervised 24 hours a day by a caregiver. The state Division of Developmental Disabilities oversees her case and also provides housing, transportation and any funding necessary for the completion of her education, said Brooks Raymond, supervisor for the Department of Corrections’ special assault unit.
Raymond said Knauss is not allowed to have unsupervised contact with children, so the supervision provided by her caregiver allows her to be on the school property.
DeJohn said she would like for there to be another way for the adult offenders to complete their educations without having contact with children, and she is concerned that the level of supervision isn’t high enough.
“I can’t put the safety of my children in the hands of a teacher’s assistant,” DeJohn said.
She said she would prefer adult offenders with disabilities who are completing their educations to receive that schooling off school grounds, perhaps with a tutor.
Officials from the Department of Corrections and the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration say safety is their top priority.
Because of Knauss’ developmental disability, she attends special education classes and is accompanied by a caregiver provided by Community Protection. She attends special-needs classes part of the day and then works part-time to help her gain employment skills, said Chris Knauss, Ashley Knauss’ mother.
Chris Knauss said it is important for her daughter to complete her education and receive vocational training so she can learn to be a positive contributor to society. The intense counseling has been helpful, Chris Knauss said, particularly because of Ashley Knauss’ disabilities, in helping her understand the ramifications of her actions.
“It’s a team effort to protect her and protect the community,” Chris Knauss said.
She described her daughter as a caring individual, and she is thankful Ashley Knauss has received support from the school district so she can continue her education. Knauss will be on probation until June, 2008.
When registered sex offenders attend school, the Department of Corrections or the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration has contact with the district, security and administration at the school the sex offender will be attending, Raymond said.
Larry Fish, a sex offender treatment coordinator for juvenile rehabilitation, said most juveniles who offend, like Nicdao, spend 16 to 32 weeks in their system before completing treatment through parole officers. Fish said offenders must adhere to their contracts or they will receive further sanctions.
“We are fully invested in the rehabilitation of youth,” Fish said.
Fish said the juveniles receive several one-on-one treatment sessions with counselors before they enroll in group counseling sessions with other juvenile sex offenders. He said another focus of their rehabilitation program is on working with the family as a group, rather than just the offender. Results have been positive since they implemented this technique two years ago, Fish said.
Nicdao and his family could not be reached for comment by The Enterprise.
Sex offenders’ presence in public schools is not limited to Shoreline. The Edmonds School District, which has 20,000 students, has six registered sex offenders— including one Level 2, two Level 1 and three unclassified offenders, according to an Edmonds School District spokesperson.
For more information call the Edmonds School District at 425-670-7044. For the Shoreline School District call 206-361-4409.
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